Australia’s brands crack China with 'daigou' personal shoppers

Australia's brands crack China with 'daigou' personal shoppers

Brooke Hemphill

The extraordinary rise of 'daigou' (Chinese personal shoppers) buying local Aussie products to re-sell in China has emerged as a major trend over the past couple of years. But with Australia's premium brand perception in China, it's one that has seen the fortunes of several home-grown brands soar.

In 2015, Bain & Co estimated that the parcel market into China was worth $US7.6 billion and unsurprisingly, Australian brands are taking notice. A2 Milk is one notable example, with other local brands including Chemist Warehouse, Weetbix, Swisse and Blackmores all tapping into the lucrative network.

But the rise of daigou in Australia hasn't been without controversy. Worried mums have expressed concern that Australian-produced infant formula, one of the most high-demand products in China, has become difficult to find in local stores around Australia. In grocery stores, purchase limits on some high demand products are now in place.